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Standards to usher in autonomous networked driving

ITU debate focused on Innovative ICT for the Future
Networked
Car

Geneva, 11 March 2014 – Willing
to hand over your keys and entrust your car to drive you from A to B?
Participants at ITU’s Future Networked Car
symposium at the Geneva Motor Show declared that within the next decade some of
us will be doing just this.

A dynamic high-level discussion involving industry, international agencies and
motorsports bodies focused on
Innovation for the Future Car. The televised debate, anchored by
former racing driver and presenter of the well-known Fifth Gear TV programme
Tiff Needell,
included Johan de Nysschen,
President of the Infiniti Motor Company; Jeffrey Owens,
Chief Technology Officer of Delphi Automotive; Jean Todt,
President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA); ITU
Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré; Eva Molnar representing the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); and T. Russell Shields,
Chair of Ygomi.

Experts participating in the technical sessions agreed that the technological
components for automated driving have reached a level of maturity that will
allow rollout in the near future. Agreements on international technical
standards and putting in place regulatory requirements are already under way to
make it a reality.

Participants called for ITU, in collaboration with UNECE,
to host a dialogue of senior executives of vehicle manufacturers to identify the
activities needed to consider future steps to realize the potential of fully
autonomous driving.

ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré, said, “We are on the cusp of a true
revolution in personal transportation. Combining the will of the vehicle and ICT
industries we can create a paradigm shift as profound as that brought about by
the introduction of mobile telephony. The time is right to address the final
challenges so that this incredible possibility is accessible to everyone. I am
proud that industry is entrusting ITU with this important work.”

Jean Todt, President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA),
stated, “Connected cars are revolutionizing our daily mobility by providing
safer, cleaner and smarter ways to travel. With car sales rising rapidly in
emerging markets, and road fatalities also expected to rise, our goal should be
to ensure that more cars worldwide can benefit from advanced technologies. We
are committed to working with all relevant players from industry, standards and
regulatory sectors, to make sure this next-generation vision is realized.”

“Fully autonomous driving offers several advantages to drivers, road systems and
the environment,” said Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU’s Standardization
Bureau. “It could lead to fewer collisions; better traffic flow; shorter journey
times; and the removal of constraints such as age, disability and parking
efficiency. To realize such benefits, it will be first necessary to address
issues including software reliability, legal frameworks and cybersecurity.” The
industry is expected to move from trials to commercial deployment of automated
driving in certain environments, such as motorways, within the next six years.